smith and d



G. L. SMITH AND D. F. ASBURY.

TANK CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. 1920.

Patented June 20, N22.

warren .s rares PATENT OFFICE.

GEGEGE-Z Ir. SMITH AND DQRSEY E. ASBURY, OF WASHING'II'O'N. DISTRICT OE-COLUKBIA,

CLOSURE.

Sp ecificetion of Iletters Eatent.

Patented June 20, 192% Application, filed August? TE, 1920. Serial Kc... 463,872;

To may concern:

Be it known that we; Gannon L; Srrrrrr and Donsnr F. Asmara, citizens: of the. United States residents of Washington, in the District of Gohnnhim. have invented. certain new nseliul. Improvements in Tank Closnres, of which following a specification.

Our invention relates broadly to: tank closures and is. particularly adapted for use. in connection powder tanks.

' The objects of our invention are to provide a closure in the cover is forced into engagement with a ledge through the of coaction between a; wedg g; surface and expansihle split ring, latter can be either one which is manually expanded or one which is. expanded by its: own resiliency; to provide a closure of the type referred to wherein the split is: corrugated. parallel to its radii. to materially reduce the area of contact hetween the and cover and thereby eliminate friction and the possibility of sticking due to corrosion, and also providing; a struc tnre of locking ring which tends to efi'ect equalization of pressure on points of the gasketyto provide a closure embodying a top ring formed exterior and interior circumscrihing grooves and ribs which permits interfitting of the tanks when stored in horizontal position to prevent relative movement between adjacent tanks, and which also permits one of the walls of an interior groove to be utilized as a wedging surface for coaction with the expansible locking ring and the walls of the exterior groove to serve as a protection against damageto such interior groove by blows due to rough handling, and to provide a closure which will be simple and efiicient, relatively cheap to mannfacmre and easily applied and removed.

In the drawings chosen to illustrate our invention the scope whereof is set forth in the claims:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a powder tank closure constructed in accordance "with our invention! Fig. 2, a side view of what is shown in Fig. 1 partly insection, a fragmental section of the closure of an adjacent tank being also shown; and

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing 1 represents the cylindrical part of a metal tank or container and 2. the top: ring secured to the. tanlc body lay riveting,v welding or other suitable rnethod. indicates: a head formed by roll mg over the upper edge ot the cylindrical part 1 and serves as a sealing; ledge for the gasket 4.2 provided in the cover of the tank. The top 21 is: provided with circumscrihing flutes: or corrugations which. serve as: indicated at A in Fig. to interlock a series; tanks when stacked one: upon another with their axes: in a horizontal position- The cover 6 provided a. gasket &- prete-rahly of rubber which engages the head A handle 7 is secnred to the cover for convenience in removing same. A split- 9 is: provided as: a simplemeans for locking the: cover in place is movahly secured to the cover the clips 8 The free ends of the split ring are provided with an expander 12 pivoted at id to the end. 10 and engageable with teeth 14': on the end 11. The split ring 9 is slightly crimpecl or corrugated as indicated at 9" in Fig. 2-, so that the area ot contact of this ring with the cover and the top ring 2 is reduced to a. mininnnn to reduce friction and possibility of sticking due to corrosion. This: construction of the locking ring also tends to eiEect equalization of pressure on all points of the gasket. The outer edge of the split ring 9, when expanded. presses against the corrugation 15 of the top ring 2 and a wedging action is set upwhichforces the ring down against the outer edge of the cover. The free diameter of the split ring 9 is equal to the diameter of the cover 6 so that withdrawal of the cover is possible when the same is unlocked. Any expansion of the split ring increases its diameter and when the cover is in position, its action against the downwardly inclined .wall of the corrugation 15 of the top ring; 2 effects a seal by producing pressure of the gasket 4 the bead The expander 12 is provided with a toe 16 engageable with the inner circumference 17 of the split ring-to limit rotation about the pivot 13 to an amount only suliicient to disengage the teeth is. Its opposite end is provided with a toe 18 to act as a fulcrum in expanding the split ring. This expansion is accomplished by a pinch bar or screw-driver 19 as shown in Fig. 1. With its end sea-ted against one of the teeth 14, pressure on the implement in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 will cause pressure to be exerted on the toe 18 and exexpanded to effect a of the cover.

pansion of the split ring can be effected tooth by tooth. It will also be seen that leverage exerted under the toe 18 will disengage the teeth and allow the split ring to spring back to its free diameter, thus releasing the cover for removal.

While it will be seen that we have illustrated and described a split ring of such free diameter as to permit withdrawal of the cover and which requires to be manually seal, it will be readily understood that for certain conditions it might be desirable to reverse the conditions by providing a split ring of larger diameter than that of the wedging surface so that it would exert a radial pressure, and thus effect a seal, due to its own resiliency, withdrawal being effected by reversing the action of the expander and the engaging teeth to permit manual contraction of the split ring to such diameter as will permit removal Therefore when we use the expression an expansible split locking ring in the claims it is with the intent that such expression will cover a split ring which is expanded manually and contracted by' its own resiliency or split ring which is expanded by its own resiliency and contracted manually.

We claim 1. In a tank closure, the combination of a tank body having a wedging surface and a sealing ledge, a cover coacting with the sealing ledge, and an expansible split locking ring coacting with the wedging surface and cover during expansion and when expanded, said ring having the faces thereof which coact with the wedging surface and cover provided with radial mating corrugations whereby said rin during expansion and when expanded will exert substantially uniform downward pressure of the cover against the sealing ledge throughout its entire surface.

2. In a tank, the combination of a tank body having a wedging surface and a sealing ledge, an expansible split locking ring coacting with the wedging surface during expansion and when expanded to force the cover against the sealing ledge, said rin having its inner periphery adjacent one en provided with teeth, a toothed pawl pivoted to the other end of the ring and cooperating with the teeth on the ring to lock the latter in an expanded position, and a longitudinal extension on the free end of the pawl constituting a fulcrum fora tool engaged with the ring teeth in the operation of manually expanding the ring.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. SMITH. DORSEY F. ASBURY.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BRIGHT, FLORENCE C. BLINN. 

